The Dead or Alive franchise has been a staple fighting game franchise since the days of the PlayStation 1 but after two-plus decades, Team Ninja is finally saying goodbye to the series that put them on the map
Fans learned that DOA would be put on ice thanks to an announcement made via special video presentation that was shown after the finale of the Dead or Alive 5 Battle Royale Tournament. Developers had mentioned on social media that an announcement was imminent, with fans expected a possible DOA 6 teaser – only to have their hopes crushed.
Director of Dead or Alive 5, Yohei Shimboru, had this to say about the discontinuation of DOA:
“We created so much downloadable content that the sheer amount would be worthy of the Guinness Book of World Records, .. However, it is time to stop what we are doing for now and look into the future, which means we may not be around for some time… but we are very much looking forward to seeing you again someday. And I hope you will maintain your love for Dead or Alive and keep on fighting!”
PlayStation 1 fighting fans got their first fix of DOA in November of ‘96 with the sequel, DOA2 releasing in early 2000 on Dreamcast and PS2. DOA 5, the latest iteration was released in 2012 on last generation consoles before being ported to the PlayStation Vita as DOA 5: Plus. Team Ninja took the game free to play with the release of Dead or Alive 5: The Last Round which saw a physical release with all characters and story content unlocked. Free to play players could get a limited selection of fighters with the option to purchase extras for $5 USD. In total, over a thousand pieces of DLC were released, which must be some sort of record.
[Source]